alt Hacker NewsHow does the free energy principle align with system dynamics and the concept of emergence? Yes, our brain might want to optimize for lack of surprise, but that does not mean it can fully avoid emergent or chaotic behavior stemming from the incredibly complex dynamics of the linked neurons?
FEP doesn't conflict with complex dynamics, it's a mathematical framework for explaining how self-organizing behavior arises from simpler variational principles. That's what makes it a theory rather than a label.
The thing you're doing here has a name: using "emergence" as a semantic stopsign. "The system is complex, therefore emergence, therefore we can't really say" feels like it's adding something, but try removing the word and see if the sentence loses information.
"Neurons are complex and might exhibit chaotic behavior" - okay, and? What next? That's the phenomenon to be explained, not an explanation.
This was articulated pretty well 18 years ago [0].
[0]: https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/8QzZKw9WHRxjR4948/the-futili...